This invention relates generally to subsea oil and gas production methods and apparatus and, more particularly, to a tubing hanger valve design for facilitating annulus access in a subsea wellhead and Christmas tree system.
There is disclosed in one embodiment a tubing hanger and shuttle valve, the shuttle valve including: a body; a first radial bore through the body; a first tubing with a sealing face arranged adjacent and substantially perpendicular to the body, wherein the first tubing is slidingly positionable; and wherein the first tubing defines a first passageway facilitating fluid communication with a first bore in the tubing hanger. According to this embodiment the body may include first and second cylindrical portions, the first cylindrical portion having a larger diameter than the second cylindrical portion. The first and second cylindrical portions may each include a seal arranged about the body.
In one embodiment of the tubing hanger and shuttle valve, the body includes a first flat machined face at the first bore.
In one embodiment the first bore through the body includes an annulus access bore for providing fluid communication between the tubing hanger and an annulus defined by the tubing hanger and a wellbore or casing.
In one embodiment the first bore in the tubing hanger is arranged substantially longitudinally through the interior of the tubing hanger.
In one embodiment of the disclosed tubing hanger and shuttle valve there is a first spacer with a plurality of holes disposed therein, the first spacer being attached between the first tubing and the first bore in the tubing hanger.
Some embodiments include a second radial bore through the body. The second radial bore through the body may include a chemical injection access bore for providing fluid communication between the tubing hanger and a wellbore. The body may further include a second flat machined face at the second radial bore. The valve may include a second tubing with a sealing face arranged adjacent and substantially perpendicular to the body, wherein the second tubing is slidingly positionable and wherein the second tubing defines a second passageway facilitating fluid communication with a second bore in the tubing hanger. The second bore in the tubing hanger may be arranged substantially longitudinally through the interior of the tubing hanger.
Some embodiments include a second spacer with a plurality of holes disposed therein, the second spacer being attached between the second tubing and the second bore in the tubing hanger.
In one embodiment the first tubing and first radial bore are not aligned and the first tubing is sealed off from the first radial bore in the first position by the sealing face. In addition, inasmuch as there is sometimes a second tubing and second radial bore, the second tubing and second radial bore are not aligned and the second tubing is sealed off from the second radial bore in the first position by the sealing face. However, the first tubing and first radial bore are aligned in the second position, and likewise the second tubing and second radial bore are aligned in the second position. The first and second positions may be changed by the application of hydraulic pressure communicated between first shoulders in the body and the tubing hanger. The first and second positions may also be changed by the insertion of a valve stab abutting an interior shoulder of the shuttle valve body.
In one embodiment there is disclosed a subsea apparatus including: a tubing hanger; a shuttle valve disposed within the tubing hanger, the shuttle valve comprising: a body; first and second radial bores through the body; first and second tubings with sealing faces arranged adjacent and substantially perpendicular to the body, wherein the first and second tubings are slidingly positionable; and wherein the first and second tubings define first and second passageways facilitating fluid communication with first and second bores in the tubing hanger. This embodiment may further include a first spacer with at least one hole, the first spacer being arranged between the first tubing and the first bore in the tubing hanger; and there may also be included a second spacer with at least one hole, the second spacer being arranged between the second tubing and the second bore in the tubing hanger.
In one embodiment there is disclosed a tubing hanger to facilitate production tubing annulus access including: a tubing hanger body having a central bore; a shuttle valve slidably mounted to the tubing hanger body; and at least one annulus access bore through the tubing hanger permitting fluid communication between the central bore and an annulus defined between a production tubing string and a wellbore or casing via the tubing hanger body and the shuttle valve. In this embodiment the shuttle valve may be slidingly movable between an open and a closed position. The tubing hanger may further include a groove enclosed by a filler, the groove providing communication between a plurality of small annulus access bores and a large annulus access bore.